Geranium plant named ‘Pacry’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Zonal  Geranium  plant named ‘Pacry’, characterized by its upright, rounded and compact plant habit; freely basal branching and flowering habit; leaves without a zonation pattern; light purple-colored flowers with red purple-colored blotches; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Pelargonium×hortorum.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Pacry’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Zonal Geranium plant, botanically known as Pelargonium×hortorum, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Pacry’.

The new Zonal Geranium is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Dresden, Germany. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new Zonal Geraniums with attractive flower coloration.

The new Zonal Geranium originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor during the summer of 2000 of two unnamed proprietary selections of Pelargonium×hortorum, not patented. The cultivar Pacry was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny from the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Dresden, Germany in June, 2001.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Dresden, Germany since January, 2002 has shown that the unique features of this new Zonal Geranium are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Pacry’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Pacry’ as a new cultivar and distinguish it from other known Zonal Geranium cultivars:

-   -   1. Upright, rounded and compact plant habit.     -   2. Freely basal branching and flowering habit.     -   3. Leaves without a zonation pattern.     -   4. Light purple-colored flowers with red purple-colored         blotches.     -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Zonal Geranium differ primarily from plants of the parent selections in flower coloration and flower form.

Plants of the new Zonal Geranium can be compared to plants of the cultivar Penlava, U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 09/739,023. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Dresden, Germany, plants of the new Zonal Geranium differed from plants of the cultivar Penlava in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium were smaller and had shorter         internodes than plants of the cultivar Penlava.     -   2. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium had thinner branches,         petioles and peduncles than plants of the cultivar Penlava.     -   3. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium had lighter green-colored         leaves than plants of the cultivar Penlava.     -   4. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium and the cultivar Penlava         differed in flower and peduncle color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Flower and foliage colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Zonal Geranium. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Pacry’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants of the cultivar Pacry have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment, such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photograph, following observations and averaged measurements describe plants grown during the summer in containers in Dresden, Germany, and under commercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse with day temperatures about 18° C., night temperatures about 16° C. and light levels ranging from 15 to 100 kilolux. Plants used for the photograph and the description were about nine months old. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Pelargonium×hortorum cultivar Pacry. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of             Pelargonium×hortorum, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of             Pelargonium×hortorum, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 18 days at 22° C.             Winter: About 22 days at 22° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—Summer: About 25 days             at 22° C. Winter: About 30 days at 22° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching, dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   General appearance.—Upright, rounded and compact plant             habit; uniform; densely foliated.         -   Growth and branching habit.—Moderately vigorous growth             habit. Freely basal branching habit with about twelve             lateral branches per plant; pinching is not required.         -   Plant height, to top of umbels.—About 25 cm.         -   Plants height, to top of foliar plane.—About 20 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 45 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 10 to 15 cm. Diameter: About             5 mm. Internode length: About 1 to 2 cm. Texture: Pubescent.             Color: 146B.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate or opposite;             simple. Length: About 3.5 to 5 cm. Width: About 6 to 7 cm.             Shape: Rounded. Apex: Rounded. Base: Cordate; open. Margin:             Bicrenate. Venation pattern: Palmate. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Slightly pubescent. Color: Developing and             fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 137A; venation, 137A.             Developing and fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 137C;             venation, 143C. Zonation pattern: Absent. Petiole: Length:             About 4 to 6.5 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Pubescent; rough. Color, upper and lower             surfaces: 143A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement.—Light purple-colored flowers with red             purple-colored splotches; semi-double rotate flowers             arranged in rounded hemispherical umbels arising from apical             leaf axils. Umbels displayed upright above the foliage on             strong peduncles. Flowers face upright to outwardly; flowers             flat to slightly cupped and uniform. Flowers persistent.             Flowers not fragrant.         -   Quantity of flowers.—Freely flowering habit; about 20 umbels             per plant, about 25 to 30 flower buds and open flowers per             umbel.         -   Flowering season.—Year-round under greenhouse conditions. In             the garden in Dresden, Germany, flowering is continuous from             April until frost in the fall.         -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about six to ten             days and umbels last about three to four weeks on the plant.         -   Umbel height.—About 6 cm.         -   Umbel diameter.—About 12 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 4.5 to 5 cm.         -   Flower depth (height).—About 1 to 2 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 8 mm. Diameter: About 6 mm.             Shape: Elliptic. Color: 144A.         -   Petals/petaloids.—Quantity per flower: About six to eight.             Length: About 2.5 cm. Width: About 2.2 to 2.5 cm. Shape:             Roughly spatulate; petaloids, irregular. Apex: Rounded.             Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Color: When opening and             fully opened, upper surface: 78D; blotches, 57A; towards the             base, 69D; venation, similar to lamina. When opening and             fully opened, lower surface: 69B; towards the base, 69D;             venation upper petals, 66B; venation, lower petals, similar             to lamina.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: About five to six, arranged in             a single whorl. Length: About 1 cm. Width: About 3 to 4 mm.             Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: 144A.         -   Peduncle (umbel stem).—Length: About 11 to 15 cm. Diameter:             About 3 to 4 mm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: Upright. Texture:             Pubescent. Color: 144A.         -   Pedicel (individual flower stem).—Length: About 3.5 cm.             Diameter: About 2 mm. Strength: Moderately strong; flexible.             Texture: Pubescent. Color: 144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen quantity per flower:             About eight to twelve. Anther length: About 1 to 2 mm.             Anther shape: Oblong. Anther color: Brown. Pollen amount:             Sparse. Pollen color: Golden brown. Gynoecium: Pistil             quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 1 cm. Stigma             shape: Five to six-parted. Stigma color: Red purple. Style             length: About 3 to 4 mm. Style color: Red purple. Ovary             color: Pale green.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development has not been             observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Zonal Geranium have not     been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Zonal     Geraniums. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Zonal Geranium have been     observed to tolerate rain, wind, and temperatures ranging from −0.5     to 40° C. and have demonstrated good garden performance. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Zonal Geranium plant named ‘Pacry’, as herein illustrated and described. 